The gale Kyrill — named after a Greek forename — swept through Europe on January 18th / 19th at top speeds of 225 kilometres per hour. Although warnings had been given out as much as two days ago, the storm claimed 13 lives in Germany and disrupted the whole of Germany's long-distance rail traffic. Much trouble was caused by a steel girder weighing several tons that came down in Berlin main station. Though the girder had not hurt anybody it revelead a constructional defect that caused the only recently inaugurated station to remain closed for hours after the incident.